Ukraine needs Taurus missiles to destroy Russian launchers – Zelenskyy
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the issue of Taurus cruise missiles is sensitive and explained why Ukraine wants to order and test them.
The head of state said this in an interview with ZDF, Censor.NET reports.
Why Ukraine needs these missiles
Zelenskyy explained that Kyiv wants to order Taurus missiles because, according to him, when the Americans were unable to provide Ukraine with anti-ballistic missiles for air defense, only one option remained: destroying Russian launchers.
"They have built entire launch sites and are killing us, and we cannot defend ourselves. These are not civilian facilities, infrastructure, or energy facilities. That is why we very much wanted to order Taurus missiles. Not just order them, but, again, also test them. This benefits both sides," he said.
A response to skeptics: The IRIS-T example
According to the president, the IRIS-T air defense system provides the answer to the question: "We help Ukraine, but what does Ukraine do for us?"
"Taurus is a sensitive issue. Let me explain why. This will be both an explanation and a response to some skeptics who say: 'We help Ukraine, but what does Ukraine do for us?' Here is an example: the IRIS-T air defense system. An excellent German system, for which we are grateful to its manufacturers. Every type of defense is important for Ukraine, but it is also important for German manufacturing," he said.
- According to Zelenskyy, the war has made IRIS-T "the world's number one brand after Patriot," which can intercept ballistic missiles. He noted that missiles for the system now cost from 600,000 to around 1–1.5 million, while Germany has an order backlog stretching 10–20 years.
"This war made that happen. All the problem areas were also addressed, because only in a real war can you truly eliminate the weaknesses in a particular defense system. Germany has an order backlog stretching 10–20 years. The cost of a missile has risen severalfold, tenfold or more. And all of this means jobs," the president added.
